new in stock for women

Emerald cotton/linen flouncy dress with pleated top and rounded collar, Sears/1980s.

Form-hugging stripe shirt dress, Leslie Fay/1960s.

Very smart high-waisted tweed gauchos paired with crochet-trimmed, cuffed short sleeve blouse.

or else "everything is going to taste the same"

From Steve Jenkins' Cheese Primer:

Above all, I continue to place a premium on the nurturing of artisans, whether it be in the form of proffering advice or by exercising my buying power to support their noble efforts. The American artisans in particular are of paramount interest to me as part of the effort we should all be involved in to forestall the distinct possibility that in all of our lifetimes everything is going to taste the same.

talking food at the ICA

Tonight is quite the line-up of events at the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art as part of 'Consumption,' a week of programming that explores our relationship to food. Today's schedule includes talks by the folks behind Rabelais, Sara Kanabey from (other) Portland's Farmer General, and a butchering demonstration by Rosemont Market's Jarrod Spangler. These guests are amongst film screenings, children's programs and culminating in a pop-up Filipino restaurant tomorrow evening. See the full schedule here.

nomadics: camping season begins

I now love to camp.  It's not something I grew up doing or had much interest in until, well, I moved to Maine.  I like the ritual of setting up and breaking down the tent...rolling it, and the sleeping bag, back up into the impossibly small bags that contain them.  It also provides an inexpensive way for me to travel and pick for the shop.  Last night was my first camping adventure for the season and although it's still off-season here - which meant no running water or electricity -  the couple who own the grounds were nice enough to let me crash. The huge trade-off was an oceanfront spot without a soul around and only the sound of the waves to fall asleep to.

in stock today

Short sleeve crochet sweater

High-waisted wool pants

Brown leather moccasins

Little acorn print blouse

Ankle boots with buckle

Wrangler denim jacket

Goose down vest with braided cord trim

Woolrich hooded rain jacket

Brown stitched leather work boots

nomadics: the unschool bus

A couple of weeks ago, I came across this bus in a parking lot in New Hampshire. Clearly it had been converted into some sort of living or work space, and tagged UNSCHOOL, of course I was immediately intrigued. I only wished I could see its interior and not surprisingly, there is plenty of online content about this bus.

It is the roving home of the Halldorsons, a family of five from New Hampshire. Home schooling takes on another meaning when the home is on wheels and learning through experience is the hallmark of raising their two sons and daughter. While having children is not within my frame of reference, it seems there are plenty of kids receiving a conventional education who have otherwise miserable upbringings. The Halldorsons are a tight-knit bunch. Kelly Halldorson documents their travels and discusses their lifestyle choice on her blog.

So, back to the bus. This video is a tour through a conversion that very efficiently provides the primary functions of a living space, including privacy for each member of the family.

there, wearing this

Québécois sugar shack (from The Arctic Post)
French Canadian fleece-lined jacket